SInce 1985
The History of DREAM
DREAM is celebrating over 40 years of adaptive sports and inclusivity!
A Walk Down Memory Lane
In 1985, a full five years before the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted by Congress, a group of Flathead residents banded together to make outdoor activities more accessible to people with disabilities. Dottie Maitland was operating a tour company at the time and discovered the inaccessibility to hotels, public parks and recreational sites for the disabled. Joined by Jane Lopp and Larry Dominick, they traveled to Washington D.C. and met with the United States Access Board – a federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities. The information they gathered from the trip would shape the way the group would operate and define their mission to make public places in the Flathead accessible to people with disabilities. After the trip, Larry McMillian, who was in a wheelchair, joined the group along with Dennis Jones who had worked with the Big Mountain ski program.
I alone can not change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.
– Mother Teresa
What started as a small non-profit organization helping a small number of adults and children with disabilities has continued to grow annually. In 2009, DREAM expanded its winter program by adding summer adaptive recreation opportunities.
Through a thoughtful growth plan – additional program opportunities and accessibility projects are added each year to ensure people with disabilities have access to the many benefits of outdoor recreation. In 2025, DREAM provided 1,714 lessons to 391 unique individuals with disabilities!
DREAM’s long history of success is due to countless individuals who believe(d) in the importance and power of inclusive outdoor recreation. In 1985, a full five years before the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law, Dottie Maitland gathered Jane Lopp, Larry Dominick, Larry McMillian, Jim Oliverson, and others to bring about positive change in the Flathead Valley. Their passion for accessibility projects in the outdoor space took hold and it didn’t take long for local businesses and individual supporters to join the team.
Around the same time, adaptive skiing was brought to Big Mountain, spearheaded by Dennis Jones and a crew of volunteer instructors. DREAM was well on its way to laying a very strong foundation that allowed for growth year after year. The organization is thriving today because of the many individuals who have supported our mission over the years. Thank you!
We’d be remiss to not give the biggest shout-out the hundreds, if not thousands, of adaptive athletes that have trusted DREAM to guide their outdoor experiences; Your strength, determination and drive to push limits have fueled our desire to constantly broaden our reach, improve our services, and deepen our impact. We will continue to work tirelessly in our community and beyond, to ensure outdoor recreation is available to all!
We hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane. If you have older photos or videos that you’d like to contribute, please contact us, we’d love to see them. Cheers to another 40 years of dreaming big!
Take a trip down memory lane. If you’d like to read recent DREAM press releases and published articles, visit our Media Coverage page.
